Stomach 101: How to Cure Any Stomach Pain or Tummy TroubleTummy ache? Massive diarrhea? Uncontrollable gas? Here are 10 of the most common abdominal pains and stomach problems, and advice from the pros on how to fix 'em

EASE ANY STOMACH PAIN

Tummy ache? Massive diarrhea? Uncontrollable gas? Here are 10 of the most common stomach problems, and advice from the pros on how to fix 'em.
ERIN HICKS

1. Stop DiarrheaThe cause: A very common cause of diarrhea is mild food poisoning. And of course, we've all heard of—or experienced firsthand—Montezuma's revenge: Traveling overseas can often bring on bouts of loose bowel movements, primarily because your body has to adjust to the new bacteria in the food and water you're consuming while away from home.

The quick fix: For food poisoning, there is no fix other than the passage of time. "You need to let your body flush itself of the toxins," says Amit Bhan, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

If diarrhea strikes at a moment when heading to the bathroom is either inconvenient (like during an important meeting) or if it's so frequent that it keeps you from sleeping, Bahn recommends knocking back some Pepto-Bismol. The pink liquid is a remedy that will attack the diarrhea-causing bacteria in your system so you can sleep and function during the day. If you're traveling overseas, take Imodium, which works by slowing down the speed at which fluids move through your intestines.